Beauty and a Beast

Arryn saw blackness, until she could faintly hear someone calling her name. She narrowly opened her eyes, and she could see the blurry outline of someone’s face. Their face was fair, and their hair was a golden yellow. She could hear familiar voices calling her name, and that was when she fully opened her eyes. She could see the sky above her head, and she could see the tops of two heads, who were obviously kneeling in front of her. The face that she saw before, was Legolas, and after a quick thought, it turned out that she was lying in his lap.

“Are you alright, Arryn?”
Aragorn asked.

Arryn nodded, faintly, as she tried to sit up, but it would seem that she couldn’t even find the strength to even stay upright, and she slightly stumbled.

“I’m alright.”
She lied, as she felt Legolas support her, so she was now facing Aragorn and Gimli,

“What happened?”
Aragorn asked, as Arryn put her hand to her forehead.

“I-I saw Merry and Pippin. The same way that I saw Frodo and Boromir, at the Falls of Rauros.”
She explained, as she placed her hand behind her head, as she checked for any bruises, or cuts.

Thankfully, there were none. She shook her head, as she tried to get her vision back to normal. It did, but it also gave her a massive headache. She rubbed her temples.

“Are you sure, you are alright?”
Both Legolas and Aragorn asked.

She nodded, as she rubbed her forehead. She stood up, as she stretched, and she brushed the dirt, and grass from the back of her tunic, and cloak. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli stood up, and they started to walk towards Fangorn Forest. As she was walking, Arryn felt someone pick something from her hair, and when she turned around, she saw Legolas, and she raised a dark, thin eyebrow at him.

“You had more grass in your hair.”
He replied, as he fell in step beside her.

Arryn smiled, slightly.
“Thank you.”

As they walked into the woods, Gimli spotted black liquid on some leaves, and he touched it, and he touched it to his lips. As soon as it touched his lips, he spat it out.

“Orc blood.”

Arryn grimaced, as they continued to make their way through Fangorn Forest. As they walked, they noticed strange tracks on the forest floor.

“These are strange tracks.”
Aragorn commented.

“The air is so close in here.”
Gimli added.

Arryn looked around, and she felt herself smile, slightly. She felt...at home, here.

“This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory and anger.”

The trees suddenly groaned, and instinctively, Gimli picked up his axe. Arryn turned around, and she saw Gimli, just as the trees groaned again

“The trees are speaking to each other.”

“Gimli. Lower your axe.”
Arryn said, as she turned back around.

“Oh.”
He said, clearly embarrassed.

“They have feelings my friend.”
Legolas started, before he turned to face Arryn.
“The Wiccans began it, didn’t they?”

Arryn’s head snapped up, at the sound of her kin, but she nodded, softly.
“That’s right. We started it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak…”

“Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings?”
Gimli remarked.

Just then, Legolas, and Arryn stopped at the same time. She bit her lip, as her eyes scanned around the forest.

“Aragorn, nad no ennas!”
*Something’s out there.*

“Man cenich?"
*What do you see?*

“The White Wizard Approaches.”
Legolas answered, gravely.

Arryn quietly, but quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver, and laced it onto the string.

“Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us.”
Aragorn said, as he drew his sword.
“We must be quick.”

All at once, they all turned to attack, Gimli threw his axe, which was effortlessly knocked to the side. Legolas and Arryn let loose their arrows, which were also knocked aside. Aragorn’s sword turned orange with the heat, and he dropped it, to keep from burning himself. They all shielded their eyes from the bright white light that the wizard emitted.

“You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits.”
The wizard stated.

“Where are they?”
Aragorn asked.

"They passed this way, day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?”

“Not in the slightest.”
Arryn said, through gritted teeth, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“Who are you? Show yourself!”
Aragorn called, just as the light faded, and Gandalf could be clearly seen

“It cannot be.”
Aragorn said, in amazement.

“Forgive me!”
Legolas, Gimli, and Arryn looked on in amazement, before they bowed.

“We mistook you for Saruman.”
Arryn said, speaking for Legolas and Gimli.

“I am Saruman. Or rather, Saruman as he should have been.”
Gandalf explained.

“You fell.”
Aragorn said, in near disbelief

“Through fire, and water. On the lowest dungeon, on the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth.”
Gandalf continued.

His thoughts went to an icy mountain peak, where Gandalf was fighting with the Balrog. Lightning connected with Gandalf’s sword, it glowed, the Balrog came at him again and Gandalf stabbed the Balrog in the chest. The Balrog fell to the mountain below.

“Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.”

Gandalf was laying face up on the mountain peak, he was bleeding from his nose.

“Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars field of end, and everyday was as long as a life age on the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I’ve been sent back until my task is done.”

“Gandalf.”
Aragorn said, in disbelief.

“Gandalf? Yes, that was what they used to call me.”

Aragorn nodded.

“Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.”
Gandalf added.

“Gandalf.”
Gimli said, almost as if it was but a dream

“I am Gandalf the White, and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.”